What Time Is It?

Duke Ellington’s career encompassed the whole history of jazz from the early era of the 1920s all the way into the 1970s. (I say “the whole history” because even most of what’s come after can be found in his music in some way or another.) Not only did he play music during this whole time, … Read More

Hey everyone, It’s been almost exactly 8-1/2 years since I first went online with my piano teaching in June, 2012, and the response continues to be incredible. I’m grateful to be in touch with enthusiastic, creative, and musical pianists from all over the world, and I’d like to take a moment to thank you. Thank … Read More

You (and I) have the potential to improvise on the piano in a highly personal, satisfying way. In fact, this is something that connects us directly with our musical idols. And, 40 years of performing and teaching experience has shown me that you’re closer to having extraordinary musical experiences that you might think. Here’s some … Read More

A pianistic style I find very relaxing to play is what I call “fingerstyle guitar.” Basically, we pianists can imitate the way an acoustic guitarist will sometimes play folk-like textures with their fingers on individual strings, instead of strumming full chords. It’s a wonderful sound and translates very well to the keyboard. Watch how I … Read More

I hope you’re doing well! Back in March, I posted some videos of relaxing piano music and lately people have been requesting more of these videos. So… yesterday I sat down and improvised a Blues For Healing. The response has been great and I’ll be posting more videos of relaxing piano music, in a variety … Read More

One of the great things about taking on a project like our Journey Through The Real Book is that we discover (or revisit) some real gems that aren’t as widely-known as that should be. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s tune “If You Never Come To Me” is one such hidden gem! Like all of Jobim’s bossa nova … Read More

Hey everyone, Our Journey Through The Real Book has brought us to #172, which is the wonderful Steve Swallow tune “I’m Your Pal.” Swallow started out as part of the mid-to-late 1960s Boston jazz scene. It must have been an incredibly vibrant place to play music and share ideas with the other musicians there at … Read More

The Real Book is a great resource, but sometimes we have to dig a little deeper to truly understand how to play a particular tune. Duke Ellington’s “I’m Beginning To See The Light” is a good example of this. For starters, the Real Book uses a series of chords in measures 1-3 that are very … Read More

Hey everyone, Keith Jarrett is a big reason why I have devoted my life to playing the piano. So it was a shock to read in the NY Times about the stroke he had two years ago which left him partially paralyzed and unable to use his left hand. He may never be able to … Read More

Have you ever played a jazz waltz? If you have, you may have experienced the thrill of playing jazz piano in a way that’s kind of a cross between a ballad and an uptempo swing groove. Or, you may perhaps have found yourself a little bit “out of your element,” with none of your usual … Read More